Tim Thomashttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/taxonomy/term/372/all
enTop NHL American Players to Watch This Seasonhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-nhl-american-players-watch-season
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/justin-felisko">Justin Felisko</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/PariseSuter.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="395" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><strong>Zach Parise/Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild):</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;The most-highly sought after American free agents in the offseason will finally have the opportunity to show if the Minnesota Wild's biggest acquisitions in franchis<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">e history was money well spent.</span></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2012-09/walk-wild-side-signing-zach-parise-and-ryan-suter" target="_blank">Read more about Minnesota's firework signing.</a></em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://wild.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470610" target="_blank">Zach Parise</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Parise captained the sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.</p>
<p>The 28-year-old led the Devils back to the postseason with 31 goals and 38 assists before scoring an NHL-high eight goals in the postseason during New Jersey's run to the finals.</p>
<p>Despite becoming the star inside the Devils dazzling new arena last season, Parise decided to return home to Minnesota this offseason.</p>
<p>Now he will have the opportunity to join Dany Heatley, a two-time 50-goal scorer, and Mikko Koivu on the Wild's top line. The three can possibly become one of the NHL's most potent offensive lines if all goes well in Minnesota.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Zach_Parise.img_assist_custom-280x201.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x201 " width="280" height="201" /><span class="caption" style="width: 278px;">Getty Images</span></span>The potential is there for Parise to become one of the league's most productive scorers with the talented duo next to him.&nbsp;</p>
<p>What's scary about Parise's potential in Minnesota is that he is still entering the prime of his career and will now be playing with two of the most talented offensive players in his career.</p>
<p>It's been a long time coming since the State of Hockey has had this much excitement leading up to an NHL season since the Wild brought the NHL back to Minnesota in 2000. Season tickets and jersey sales jumped off the charts following the signings of Parise and Suter and the pressure to win will be evident.</p>
<p>Pressure or no pressure Parise is sure to blossom into Minnesota's golden child and is prime for a breakout year.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://wild.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470600" target="_blank">Ryan Suter</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Suter paired with Shea Weber to form one of the best blue line tandems in the NHL. The NTDP product had a career-year with seven goals and 39 assists for the Nashville Predators.</p>
<p>Suter's signing shores up one of the Wild's biggest weaknesses from last season. He joins offensive-minded d-men Tom Gilbert and Jared Spurgeon as the Wild's top three defensemen while the last three will have to be harvested from the organization's talented prospect pool.</p>
<p>But will Suter be as effective without Weber by his side? Can Gilbert and/or Spurgeon generate enough attention and create enough opportunities for the 27-year-old to be as successful as he was in Nashville? Will it be enough to help the Wild return to the postseason for the first time since 2007-08?</p>
<p>Regardless, Suter's main responsibility will be to help improve the Wild's defensive corps.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/146359643.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="349" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong><a href="http://kings.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8471734" target="_blank">Jonathan Quick</a> (Los Angeles Kings):</strong> The defending Stanley Cup champions will once again rely on their star-studded goaltender in hopes of defending their crown with a roster completely in tact from last season. &nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Quick is no longer an unknown to those east of the Mississippi after backstopping the eighth-seeded Kings to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.</p>
<p>The Conn Symthe winner finished the postseason with 16 wins and a remarkable 1.41 goals-against average and .946 save percentage on his way to becoming the second straight American goaltender to win the NHL's highest postseason award. &nbsp;</p>
<p>While New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist rightfully won the Vezina Trophy for his stellar production in net, Quick was nearly as dominant during the regular season.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/146186066.img_assist_custom-120x181.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-img_assist_custom-120x181 " width="120" height="180" /><span class="caption" style="width: 118px;">Getty Images</span></span>Quick propelled the Kings into postseason ranking fifth in the league with 35 wins and a .929 SV%.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even more impressive, the goalie finished the regular season second in the NHL with a 1.95 GAA.</p>
<p>Out of his 10 regular season shutouts the most remarkable has to be Quick's 38-save performance against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 28.&nbsp;&nbsp;He then topped that mark with a 41-save performance against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.</p>
<p>Quick was awarded for his Stanley Cup heroic efforts with a 10-year contract from the Kings this summer and now everyone will wait and see if he can duplicate his success.</p>
<p>Will Quick post a sub-2.00 GAA again this season? Probably not. Will Quick post another 10 shutouts? I'm willing to say no.</p>
<p>Yet will he still be a dominant force? It's hard to see why not.</p>
<p>Best of all, it sure will be fun watching Quick try to duplicate his success this season.</p>
<p><em>Related Content: <a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2012-08/top-world-american-goaltenders" target="_blank">The Rise of the American Goaltender</a></em></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Kane_0.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="367" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8474141" target="_blank">Patrick Kane</a>&nbsp;(Chicago Blackhawks):</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;With more off-ice issues plaguing Kane this offseason, the talented winger will certainly be excited to return to the ice this year. Trade rumors began swirling around the young Blackhawk after his misconduct in Wisconsin following the NHL season. A strong start to this season can put some of his critics behind him.</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong>&nbsp;Kane had his least productive season of his career finishing with 23 goals and 43 assists. Still though, it was not terrible production from Kane and he will be a key factor if the Blackhawks try to rebound from their first round playoff exit to the Phoenix Coyotes.</p>
<p>Just 23 years old, Kane can easily regain his 2008-09 form when he helped Chicago hoist the Stanley Cup with an 88-point regular season and a 28-point postseason performance, third best in the NHL that year.</p>
<p>It comes as no surprise that Chicago would want to hang on to their young and talented center.</p>
<p>Kane started off the first month of last year on a point-per-game scoring streak (15 points in 14 games) and had three, three-point performances against Winnipeg, Nashville and Tampa Bay. However, Kane would not a register another three-point game the rest of the way.</p>
<p>The young star will continue to develop into a force on the ice and he can also continue to mature and grow off it. If Kane can find the balance of the too, the Blackhawks front office will not only be happier but they may also find themselves back amongst the thick of the NHL postseason.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Thomas.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="349" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://bruins.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8460703" target="_blank">Tim Thomas</a> (Boston Bruins):</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Does he actually stay retired? All reports say that Thomas will take this year off to spend time with his family, but if a playoff contender or even the Boston Bruins come calling for his services does he reconsider?</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Thomas showed no signs of slowing down after leading the Boston Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup. The former UVM goaltender finished the year fifth in the NHL with 35 wins, his second straight year accomplishing such a feat. But Boston fell victim to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs in their defense of Lord Stanley.</p>
<div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/1165908691.img_assist_custom-120x175.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-img_assist_custom-120x175 " width="120" height="175" /><span class="caption" style="width: 118px;">Getty Images</span></span>Thomas appeared in 59 games, the second most in his career, and finished the season with a 2.36 GAA and a .920 SV %.</span></div>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">A former ninth-round draft pick, Thomas did all he could to propel the Bruins past Washington in the postseason with his .923 SV%.</span></p>
<p>Hence it caught the hockey world off guard when Thomas announced his leave of absence, not retirement, from the Bruins in June.</p>
<p>Thomas plans on spending this year with his family and friends away from hockey but will he eventually get that desire to return to the brotherhood of the locker room?</p>
<p>He certainly has the skills to backstop a Stanley Cup contender and he has already waived his no trade clause.</p>
<p>Therefore, once a team loses a marquee-starting goalie to injury this year keep your ears open for a possible return of Thomas. &nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Galchenyuk_0.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="352" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong><a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8476851" target="_blank">Alex Galchenyuk</a> (Montreal Canadiens):</strong> The highest drafted American-born player since Zach Bogosian (3rd overall in 2008 by Atlanta) is coming off an impressive showing during Team USA's gold-medal winning run at the World Junior Championship. Galchenyuk, selected third overall by the Montreal Canadiens last June, was one of the most gifted players on the ice finishing with two goals and six assists.</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Galchenyuk suffered a torn ACL on Sept. 16 after he crashed into the net in Sarnia's second to final exhibition game. It was a devastating blow to the young center that put up 31 goals and 52 assists the previous season, the second-most among OHL rookies only behind this year's No. 1 NHL draft selection Nail Yakupov.</p>
<p>The injury limited him to just two regular season games, but he was able to play in all six of Sarnia's postseason tilts against Saginaw.</p>
<p>This year Galchenyuk appears ready to go, to the surprise of many, and has notched an impressive 27 goals and 34 assists in 33 games before being invited to the Montreal Canadiens training camp.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Keith_Yandle.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="365" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong><a href="http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8471735" target="_blank">Keith Yandle</a> (Phoenix Coyotes):</strong> One of the quietly successful defenseman in the NHL looks ready to enter the prime of his career.</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Yandle continued his solid offensive blue line play with another 11-goal season. He did take a slight step back in terms of total points, dropping from 48 assists two years ago to 32 this past season.</p>
<p>Yet after being dangled by the Coyotes at the trade deadline the young defenseman notched eight assists in the Stanley Cup playoffs after Phoenix marched its way to the Western Conference Finals.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Yandle_Mug.img_assist_custom-120x180.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-img_assist_custom-120x180 " width="120" height="180" /><span class="caption" style="width: 118px;">Getty Images</span></span>If the Coyotes want to have any shot at returning to the postseason they will need Yandle to continue his development into an NHL star. If you combine him with Oliver Ekman-Larsson the desert may boast two of the top offensive d-men in the league.</p>
<p>Despite his solid playoff performance the Coyotes, once again dealing with ownership issues, Yandle was once again at the center of trade speculation this offseason. There were reports that the Flyers and Red Wings, both in need of blue line help, inquired for the 26-year-old's services.</p>
<p>Phoenix was wise enough to hang on to him, but will they keep him if they are out of contention come the trade deadline this year?</p>
<p>If so there will be more than one potential buyer for one of America's top defensemen in the game.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Dubinsky_3.preview.jpg" alt="Skip Hickey/Alaska Aces" title="Skip Hickey/Alaska Aces" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Skip Hickey/Alaska Aces</span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong><a href="http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8471273" target="_blank">Brandon Dubinsky</a> (Columbus Blue Jackets)</strong>: After spending his entire career with the New York Rangers, Dubinsky was a major piece of the Rick Nash summer trade. Dubinsky now heads to Columbus to team with fellow American Jack Johnson in hopes of turning around the misfortunes of the Columbus Blue Jackets.</span></p>
<p><strong>Last season:</strong> Dubinsky became expendable after producing only two points in the postseason, appearing in only nine games due to a right foot injury for the Blue Shirts prior to being a main piece of the Rick Nash deal this summer.</p>
<p>Dubinsky struggled last year with only 10 goals and 24 assists after his career-year in 2010 when he put up 24 goals (tops for N.Y.) and 30 assists</p>
<p>The former second round pick gets a new opportunity with the now, gritty Columbus Blue Jackets after Columbus General Manager Scott Howson assembled a new roster featuring grinders like Dubinsky.</p>
<p>After falling out of the good graces of Rangers head coach John Tortorella, the 26-year-old will get a chance to be a featured center for Columbus.</p>
<p>He may have struggled wearing a blue shirt; maybe all Dubinsky needed was a Blue Jacket?</p>
<p><em>Related Content:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2012-12/aces-make-winning-hand-three-anchorage-natives-playing-alaska-aces" target="_blank">Anchorage Natives Look To Give Hometown Team More Than Just A Full House During NHL Lockout</a></em></p>
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<p><strong><a href="Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings): It&rsquo;s no secret the Red Wings are no longer the team they used to be. With the retirements of Nick Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom, and Brad Stuart leaving through free agency, some may believe Detroit will no longer be a strong contender in the West. Jimmy Howard can change that. Last Season: Howard (35-17-4) finished tied for the league-lead in wins among U.S.-born goaltenders with Stanley Cup Champion Jonathan Quick and Boston&rsquo;s Tim Thomas. The 28-year-old also had a career-high six shutouts to go along with his 2.13 GAA and .920 SV%. Howard&rsquo;s strong performance in net earned him his first NHL All-Star Game appearance as a member of Team Chara. He also made 25 saves against the Phoenix Coyotes on Jan. 12 to earn his 100th career victory. Yet can Howard still put up those numbers without Lidstrom's support? You also have to remember that the Red Wings have been one of the league&rsquo;s biggest offensive juggernauts over the last few years and Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyk are getting no younger. Regardless of his teammates possibly searching for the fountain of youth, Howard is entering the prime of his career and there will certainly be pressure on the American goalie to keep the Detroit winning-tradition alive." target="_blank">Jimmy Howard</a> (Detroit Red Wings):</strong>&nbsp;It's no secret the Red Wings are no longer the team they used to be. With the retirements of Nick Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom, and Brad Stuart leaving through free agency, some may believe Detroit will no longer be a strong contender in the West. Jimmy Howard can change that.</p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Howard (35-17-4) finished tied for the league-lead in wins among U.S.-born goaltenders with Stanley Cup Champion Jonathan Quick and Boston's Tim Thomas. The 28-year-old also had a career-high six shutouts to go along with his 2.13 GAA and .920 SV%.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Howard_Mug.img_assist_custom-120x180.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-img_assist_custom-120x180 " width="120" height="180" /><span class="caption" style="width: 118px;">Getty Images</span></span>Howard's strong performance in net earned him his first NHL All-Star Game appearance as a member of Team Chara. He also made 25 saves against the Phoenix Coyotes on Jan. 12 to earn his 100th career victory.</p>
<p>Yet can Howard still put up those numbers without Lidstrom's support?</p>
<p>You also have to remember that the Red Wings have been one of the league's biggest offensive juggernauts over the last few years and Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyk are getting no younger.</p>
<p>Regardless of his teammates possibly searching for the fountain of youth, Howard is entering the prime of his career and there will certainly be pressure on the American goalie to keep the Detroit winning-tradition alive.</p>
<p><em>Related Content:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-09/jimmy-howard" target="_blank">Howard Goes From Maine Man To Mainstay In Detroit Net </a></em></p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Okposo.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="414" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong><a href="http://islanders.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8473449" target="_blank">Kyle Okposo </a>(New York Islanders):</strong> The New York Islanders seem poised to eventually become a playoff contender in the East after having top draft picks for the last couple of years. With the loss of P.A. Parenteau to free agency, Okposo will be looked upon to take a larger role and may breakout into a force playing alongside John Tavares.</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Okposo finished with a career-high 24 goals in 80 games for the Islanders and chipped in 21 assists to end the year with 45 points.</p>
<p>But more importantly it was his tear at the end of the season that may have given us a glimpse of the 2013 version of the right winger. In the final nine games of the season, Okposo carried the Islanders with nine goals and showed the offensive production that was one of the reasons why the Islanders drafted him 7th overall in 2006. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Okposo demonstrated the poise to bounce back from a shoulder injury in 2011 and has reached the moment in his career where he has to take on a leadership role with the Islanders after serving last year as the alternate captain.</p>
<p>If the Islanders young players, such as Okposo, continue to mature and develop Long Island may just be ready to surprise some teams, and their fans, with their first playoff appearance since the 2006-07 season.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Mueller_5.preview.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Getty Images</span></span></p>
<p><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://panthers.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8473526" target="_blank">Peter Mueller </a>(Florida Panthers)</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: When healthy, Mueller has a knack for finding the back of the net. The question that remains? Does the Florida sunshine instill new health for the injury-plagued Mueller?</span></p>
<p><strong>Last Season:</strong> Mueller showed flashes of potential for the Colorado Avalanche after missing the first 40 games of the season because of lingering concussion issues that cost him the entire 2010-11 season.</p>
<p>In 32 games last season he had seven goals and nine assists.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Mueller_Mug.img_assist_custom-120x180.jpg" alt="Getty Images" title="Getty Images" class="image image-img_assist_custom-120x180 " width="120" height="180" /><span class="caption" style="width: 118px;">Getty Images</span></span>Yet Mueller, who also had groin issues, told the <em><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/13/2893299/florida-panthers-hope-risk-pays.html" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a></em> during the summer he believes he is the healthiest since his rookie year. And if that is the case than general manager Dave Tallon has another steal of a signing on his hands after taking a gamble on Tomas Fleischmann (27g 34a) last year.</p>
<p>As a rookie in 2007-08, Mueller was brilliant for the Phoenix Coyotes scoring 22 goals in 81 games.</p>
<p>The problem is can Mueller stay healthy? Ever since suffering a season-ending concussion injury in April 2010 the left winger could not return to the goal scorer he once was. Despite his play over the last couple months of the season, the Avalanche decided not to tender Mueller probably because of his inability to stay healthy.</p>
<p>So what do you think? Does Mueller stay healthy and help the Panthers return to the postseason?</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-nhl-american-players-watch-season#commentsAlex GalchenyukBrandon DubinskyJimmy HowardJonathan QuickKeith YandleKyle OkposoNHLPatrick KaneRyan SuterTim ThomasUSA HockeyZach PariseOnline Bonus ContentSat, 19 Jan 2013 00:23:52 +0000jfelisko8036 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comOn Top Of The World: American Goaltenders http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2012-08/top-world-american-goaltenders
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What’s Behind The Rise Of American Goaltenders In The NHL? </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/americangoalies.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="375" /></span></p>
<p>As Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick was raising the Stanley Cup over his head in June, he was also helping to raise the profile of American-born goaltenders up another notch.</p>
<p>For the second straight year, an American goalie not only led his team to the Stanley Cup, but also captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP in the process. Quick&rsquo;s haul added to the already crowded trophy case for American goaltenders.</p>
<p>Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins preceded Quick in grabbing the Cup and Smythe in 2011. Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller&rsquo;s 2010 Vezina Trophy as the league&rsquo;s top goaltender was sandwiched by a pair won by Thomas in 2009 and 2011, while Quick was the runner-up for the award in 2012. And let&rsquo;s not forget the silver medals won by the trio as members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It has been an exciting time for all the guys who were on the Olympic team. Three years in a row [they] have had some pretty good years [with] a couple of Vezina trophies [and] a couple of Stanley Cups,&rdquo; said Miller, who was named the MVP of the Olympic tournament in Vancouver.</p>
<p>The three goaltenders from that Olympic squad in particular have been leading the charge, but are getting some company at the top.</p>
<p>During the 2011-12 NHL regular season, five American-born netminders were the primary starters for their teams, while a total of eight American backstops made at least 30 appearances. Eighteen different Americans saw action between the pipes in at least one NHL game.<br />The top of the statistical leaderboard was flooded with Americans as well.</p>
<p>Quick led the way, finishing in the top five in each of the major statistical categories for goaltenders, including first in shutouts (10), second in goals-against average (1.95) and fifth in both wins (35) and save percentage (.929).</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Thomas and Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings finished tied with Quick for wins, while Howard and Miller also finished tied for fifth with six shutouts apiece.</p>
<p>So where did all this success come from? It certainly didn&rsquo;t just pop up out of nowhere. In fact, it may have been over 20 years in the making. While American goalies are finding success in the league at a higher rate than ever before, this isn&rsquo;t the first time U.S. netminders have grabbed the spotlight.</p>
<p>Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, American goaltenders like Tom Barrasso, John Vanbiesbrouck and Mike Richter were collecting many of the same accolades as those of today. It was their accomplishments that helped create a generation of U.S.-born players that wanted to be goaltenders.<br />During media day for the Stanley Cup Finals, Quick told reporters he had a picture of Richter holding up the Stanley Cup in his childhood bedroom.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/americangoalies2.jpg" alt="Current goaltenders, such as Jimmy Howard, above, attribute former goaltenders such as Mike Richter, Tom Barrasso, and John Vanbiesbrouck with providing their inspiration." title="Current goaltenders, such as Jimmy Howard, above, attribute former goaltenders such as Mike Richter, Tom Barrasso, and John Vanbiesbrouck with providing their inspiration." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="364" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Current goaltenders, such as Jimmy Howard, above, attribute former goaltenders such as Mike Richter, Tom Barrasso, and John Vanbiesbrouck with providing their inspiration.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I grew up a Rangers fan. I saw a lot of him,&rdquo; said the Milford, Conn., native, who pointed to Richter&rsquo;s competitiveness as one of the qualities he admired most.</p>
<p>Howard, who posted his best season to date in his third full year with the Detroit Red Wings in 2011-12, shared Quick&rsquo;s admiration for the Abington, Pa., native.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When I was growing up, I was a big Mike Richter fan,&rdquo; said the Syracuse, N.Y., born goaltender. &ldquo;I idolized him with everything that he did.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Miller got an up-close look at several NHL goaltenders growing up watching his cousin Kelly Miller&rsquo;s games.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There was a time when Kelly was playing with the Rangers and being able to pay close attention to Richter and go back further to Vanbiesbrouck, guys like that got me interested in the position,&rdquo; said Miller, who also won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey&rsquo;s best player in 2001.</p>
<p>Just like the players that idolized him, Richter had an American role model to look to for inspiration in his younger days.</p>
<p>&ldquo;[If] you have somebody, I can remember even reading about Jim Craig when he was at Boston University and that gives you something to shoot for,&rdquo; Richter said of the man who backstopped the Miracle on Ice in 1980.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We happened to have this single figure who was a great role model. I think that&rsquo;s a big part of it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Now the current generation of American netminders is in a unique position to inspire the NHL stars of tomorrow.</p>
<p>Mike Ayers, USA Hockey&rsquo;s national goaltending coach, shared just how important their success has been.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s great because you have somebody to put a face with in regards to the younger kids,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Now they have a chance to watch these [American NHL goalies] in action and learn from them, and I think that&rsquo;s an important piece to it.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/americangoalies3.img_assist_custom-280x215.jpg" alt="Jim Craig set the table with his heroics at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games." title="Jim Craig set the table with his heroics at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games." class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x215 " width="280" height="215" /><span class="caption" style="width: 278px;">Jim Craig set the table with his heroics at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>While inspiration is a key factor in attracting new goaltenders, a lot more goes into creating an elite goalie.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve got some really solid noted guys that are out there in the field that are good coaches that are working with American goalies,&rdquo; said Vanbiesbrouck, who won the Vezina Trophy in 1986 as a member of the Rangers.</p>
<p>Not only are there great coaches, but the way goalies are being trained has fundamentally changed in recent years, according to Joe Exter, assistant coach for the men&rsquo;s ice hockey team at The Ohio State University and former USA Hockey national goaltending coach.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Before, when you were growing up, the goalie&rsquo;s job was just to stop the puck,&rdquo; Exter said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how everybody would like to describe it, but that has changed.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Everybody realized that there&rsquo;s no way you&rsquo;re going to learn if it&rsquo;s just, &lsquo;hey, stop the puck.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s a fundamentally trained and advanced position that you have to acquire. We want them to stop the puck, now let&rsquo;s teach them how to do it in the most efficient way.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Additionally, training the mental aspects of goaltending such as focus, competitiveness and confidence has become a priority according to Exter and the current crop of American goaltenders in the NHL is showing why it should be.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The best thing about all of those goalies is that they&rsquo;re all different,&rdquo; Exter said. &ldquo;But the most common thing that they&rsquo;ve shown is their &lsquo;moment focus&rsquo; &ndash; their ability to, when everything rises, stay straight toward what&rsquo;s the process at hand.&rdquo;<br />Vanbiesbrouck shared similar sentiments.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For Jonathan Quick and Tim Thomas, they showed us great mental elevation, which it takes to play two totally different styles of goaltending, but to get it done,&rdquo; said Vanbiesbrouck, who is now a member of USA Hockey&rsquo;s executive board as the vice president of the Junior Council.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There might not be anyone more technically sound than Ryan Miller, and what a great approach to the game. It&rsquo;s those fine lines.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Miller believes the change in perception of goaltenders is another key factor in the growth of the position.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a case of where the protection is better, the athletes are better, the challenge of being a goaltender is a little more respected now,&rdquo; said the East Lansing, Mich., native. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s interesting that people get into the net and it&rsquo;s not looked on as you&rsquo;re completely crazy, like back in the day.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s always concern that this current stretch of success is merely cyclical and could soon come to an end, but there&rsquo;s reason to believe American goaltenders will continue rising above.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;ll go through streaks no matter what, but I think [the stretch of success] shows how much we&rsquo;ve developed and it&rsquo;s kind of set the bar for everybody,&rdquo; Ayers said.</p>
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<h2 class="textlinkblack">&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a case of where the protection is better, the athletes are better, the challenge of being a goaltender is a little more respected now. It&rsquo;s interesting that people get into the net and it&rsquo;s not looked on as you&rsquo;re completely crazy, like back in the day.&rdquo; <br />&mdash; Ryan Miller, buffalo sabres<br /></h2>
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<p>The current group of NHL goaltenders is also setting the bar for each other, driving each to be better.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I met Tim [Thomas] and Jonathan Quick this year at the All-Star Game so I&rsquo;ve gotten to know them pretty well, and I met Ryan Miller at the awards show a couple years ago,&rdquo; said Howard, who is entering his fourth year as the main man between the pipes for the Red Wings.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s those guys that have set the bar real high and I&rsquo;m just trying to chase them down.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Quick and Cory Schneider, who had a breakout season in Vancouver in 2011-12, are just 26 and Howard is 28, meaning each has a lot of good years ahead of them. Additionally, 23 American goaltenders have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft since 2007, including eight within the first three rounds, so the pipeline appears to be well stocked.</p>
<p>USA Hockey&rsquo;s Warren Strelow National Goaltending Mentor Program, which was founded in 2007 and aims to provide a consistent nationwide program to recruit, develop and produce elite goaltenders, could play a big role in making sure this recent string of success isn&rsquo;t just a fad.</p>
<p>Ayers, who also serves as the program&rsquo;s coordinator, stressed the importance of taking advantage of this current stretch of American dominance in order to sustain it in the future.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Right now, it&rsquo;s a great opportunity for us where we need to capitalize on the success of the guys being in the NHL,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think [their success] will help tie some comparisons to younger kids to try to incorporate some of the abilities of the older guys into their own game and enhance it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While there are many theories as to how American goaltending got to this height and what it will take to keep it there, Vanbiesbrouck pointed to one unique ingredient that perhaps has helped this current crop separate itself from the rest of the world.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Maybe the additive is that American spirit,&rdquo; the U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer said.</p>
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<h5><em>Chris Peters is a freelance writer based out of North Liberty, Iowa and is the former public relations manager for USA Hockey&rsquo;s National Team Development Program.</em></h5>
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<h6><em>Photos courtesy of USA Hockey Magazine; Getty Images</em><br /></h6>
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<a href="/issue/2012-08">2012-08</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2012-08/top-world-american-goaltenders#commentsGoaliesJonathan QuickNHLTim ThomasFeatureWed, 18 Jul 2012 19:48:43 +0000admin7186 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comUSA Hockey Magazine Podcast: Tim Thomashttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/usa-hockey-magazine-podcast-tim-thomas
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<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Tim-Thomas-1.img_assist_custom-223x323.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-223x323 " width="223" height="323" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Tuesday, February 28, 2012:</strong> On today's podcast, we've got a very special guest: Tim Thomas, all-star goalie for the Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins and member of the 2010 Olympic Team. Topics include how he's developed his hockey camps, what drove him to donate a Zamboni to a local Woodland Park hockey association and life after the NHL.</p>
<p><a href="http://usahockey.cachefly.net/MagazineVideos/Podcast/USAHMPodcastTimThomas.m4a">M4a version</a></p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/usa-hockey-magazine-podcast-tim-thomas#commentsGoaliesTim ThomasGoalies OnlyThu, 03 May 2012 14:29:11 +0000admin6962 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comTop 10 Americans To Watch in 2011-2012http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-7
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USA Hockey Magazine is counting down the top 10 Americans to watch in 2011-2012. In no particular order, this list features players and personnel from all different levels. </div>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal">1. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins</h3>
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<p><strong><span style="color: black; background: white;">HEIGHT:&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5-11</span></strong></p>
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<td><strong>Sept. 29</strong></td>
<td><a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-4"><strong><span class="field-content">Ryan Callahan</span></strong></a></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 1<br /></strong></td>
<td><a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-5"><strong><span class="field-content">Tyler Biggs</span></strong></a></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 2<br /></strong></td>
<td><a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-blais"><strong><span class="field-content">Dean Blais</span></strong></a></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 3<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><span class="field-content"><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-6">Seth Jones</a></span></strong></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 4<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012">Knight, Decker</a></strong></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 5<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-0">Ron Wilson</a></strong></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 6<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-1">David Backes</a></strong></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 7<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-2">Rocco Grimaldi</a></strong></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 8<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-3">Zach Parise</a></strong></td>
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<td><strong>Oct. 9<br /></strong></td>
<td><strong><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-7">Tim Thomas</a>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: .15in;"><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: .15in;"><strong><span style="color: black; background: white;">WEIGHT:&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">208</span></strong><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: .15in;"><strong><span style="color: black; background: white;">BORN: </span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">April 15, 1974</span></strong><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: .15in;"><strong><span style="color: black; background: white;">HOMETOWN:&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Flint, Michigan</span></strong><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: .15in;"><strong><span style="color: black; background: white;">LAST SEASON:</span></strong><span><strong><span style="color: black; background: white;">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style="color: black; background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Won 35 games, posted a .938 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average for the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.</span></span><span style="color: black; background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: black; background: white;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tim Thomas won his second Vezina and first Conn Smythe Trophy en route to Boston&rsquo;s Stanley Cup last season. He held a .938 save percentage &ndash; an NHL record &ndash; and also led the league with a 2.00 goals against average.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Right now, that means nothing to the Bruins coaching staff. From the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/bruins/story/2011-10-05/boston-bruins-tim-thomas/50663578/1">Associated Press</a>:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>"We have two No. 1s," Bruins coach Claude Julien&nbsp;said Tuesday as the team met with the media two days before it opens the season and its title defense.</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Julien said he will start the season with Thomas and Tuukka Rask&nbsp;sharing time as the starter, but the coach left open the possibility that one would run off with the job as Thomas did last season with a dominating performance that earned him honors as the playoff MVP and the NHL's&nbsp;top goaltender.</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>"There are two goalies on the team, and we don't think of ourselves as No. 1 and No. 2," Thomas said. "If the team's on a roll and both goalies are winning, obviously you play both goalies."</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maybe they're right. Maybe it's just a motivational ploy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With much of Boston&rsquo;s roster returning, expectations remain high.&nbsp;Thomas stopped 25 of 26 shots in the Bruins&rsquo; win over Tampa Bay Saturday night.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Regardless of the 37-year-old&rsquo;s age, we often wonder how in the world anyone can move like that &ndash; especially on ice &hellip; with goalie pads. But then actually making the saves?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just watch the video.</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/top-10-americans-watch-2011-2012-7#commentsBoston BruinsNHLStanley CupTim ThomasOnline Bonus ContentMon, 10 Oct 2011 15:30:08 +0000AMPaitich5566 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comSnooze You Can Usehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-09/snooze-you-can-use
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The Importance Of Sleep Is Not Lost On Those Who Play The Game </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/caryn-switaj">Caryn Switaj</a> </div>
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<p>If the Vancouver Canucks had won the Stanley Cup they could chalk it up in part to science and a good night&rsquo;s sleep. Since they lost the hard-fought final series in seven games, they can chalk it up to the nightmares caused by Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas.</p>
<p>The Canucks, who have historically endured the most grueling travel schedule in the NHL, looked to solve some of their sleep issues by employing the services of a small device designed to monitor the amount of rest players received during the season.</p>
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<h2>&ldquo;I get cranky and tired like anyone else when I don&rsquo;t get rest. But I definitely feel energized, feel good, <br />feel sharp mentally when I get a lot of sleep.&rdquo;
<p>&mdash;Jack Johnson</p></h2>
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<p>The ReadiBand, a lightweight wristband produced by the Honolulu, Hawaii-based technology company Fatigue Science, monitors a player&rsquo;s sleep and activity patterns. The data is then used to predict how sleep problems will affect a player&rsquo;s reaction time and game performance.&nbsp; </p>
<p>Of course, it doesn&rsquo;t help much when resourceful players slip off their bands and give them to a sleepy teammate so they could hit the town for a little fun.</p>
<p>Sleep is a precious commodity over the long haul of an NHL season. That&rsquo;s why the mantra for every hockey player remains the same &ndash; proper rest produces peak performance.</p>
<p>During the season, players experience two sides of the spectrum &ndash; the exuberance over playing competitively and winning a game, and the crushing blow of dropping a close game and not putting their best skate forward.</p>
<p>&ldquo;After games is probably the toughest time for guys to sleep,&rdquo; said Canucks defenseman Keith Ballard, a product of USA Hockey&rsquo;s National Team Development Program.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough to unwind with all that emotion. After a good game, you&rsquo;re excited and the emotions are a bit higher, and after a bad game, you&rsquo;re thinking about what you should have done or what you could have done in different situations.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Los Angeles Kings defenseman and Team USA veteran Jack Johnson agrees. He said the key to maintaining the proper rest comes through mental discipline.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned that once the game&rsquo;s over, you&rsquo;ve got to move on immediately,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll maybe think about the game for an hour or two, but after that, I like to think I&rsquo;m pretty good at cleaning the slate and getting ready for the next one.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While a variety of elements impact a player&rsquo;s performance, there is one common thread that can mean the difference between winning and losing at every level of the game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Sleep should be considered as important as a diet, regular practice and studying the game plan in advance of the game,&rdquo; said Dr. Erik K. St. Louis, associate professor of neurology and senior associate consultant at the Mayo Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Feelings of tiredness or fatigue, poor energy or motivation levels, reduced exercise tolerance or poorer workout and game performance, feeling sleepy and persisting soreness after a workout, are a few possible symptoms of insufficient sleep.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For Cam Fowler, an NTDP alumnus who is now with the Anaheim Ducks, sleep has always been emphasized since his youth hockey days.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My parents put me to bed at a pretty good time,&rdquo; said Fowler, a member of the 2010 gold-medal winning U.S. National Junior Team. &ldquo;I mean, I was one of those kids where I didn&rsquo;t really have as much freedom as some other kids. My parents were right on top of me to get upstairs, get to bed. They tried to make sure I got enough sleep.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It should never be underestimated that getting sleep is another training mechanism that must be learned, just like skating.</p>
<p>Cheryl Callin, a teacher and mother of two Bantam- and Midget-aged players in travel hockey and a daughter that travels for diving, found that sleep plays a vital role in the family&rsquo;s survival.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There are time and travel commitments that make it vital that you get the right amount of rest,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They understand that, if they&rsquo;re going to make the commitment, they have to be prepared.&rdquo;</p>
<p>But, she admitted, &ldquo;Being at hotels it&rsquo;s tough to get kids to sleep and not stay up visiting, but we&rsquo;re usually the family that&rsquo;s not as much fun. My husband Greg and I stress to the kids that the fun part is playing and getting themselves ready for the game.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A &ldquo;hockey dad&rdquo; and banker, Greg Callin shared a family analogy that helps them stay disciplined: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always talked about three legs on the stool and those have been food and nutrition, practice and training, and rest and sleep is a leg by itself. That&rsquo;s what gets you into a position to perform and play well. We approach it as just a part of your lifestyle.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s travel hockey, with its packed weekend schedules, or the need to balance academics and athletics at the collegiate level, or the demands of coast-to-coast travel in the NHL, there is seldom room to &ldquo;make up&rdquo; sleep.</p>
<p>Now in his fifth season in Los Angeles, Johnson knows this all too well. Like other NHL teams located on the West Coast, the Kings log more than their fair share of frequent flier miles. And getting the proper rest can be the difference between going deep into the playoffs and an early tee time on the links. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I like to think I sleep a lot. I enjoy my sleep, definitely,&rdquo; said Johnson. &ldquo;I try to get eight hours a night, and if it doesn&rsquo;t happen on travel days or we get in late, I&rsquo;ll try and take a nap so that, at some point, I&rsquo;ve gotten my amount of sleep. That&rsquo;s kind of my rule of thumb to survive.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I get cranky and tired like anyone else when I don&rsquo;t get rest. But I definitely feel energized, feel good, feel sharp mentally when I get a lot of sleep.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For a player who has earned a reputation as a hard-nosed and aggressive blueliner, nobody wants to face off against a cranky Jack Johnson.</p>
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<a href="/issue/2011-09">2011-09</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-09/snooze-you-can-use#commentsCam FowlerhealthJack JohnsonKeith BallardsleepTim ThomasFeatureWed, 31 Aug 2011 20:22:12 +0000admin5366 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comNo Doubting Thomashttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/no-doubting-thomas
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Goaltender’s Career Comes Full Circle As He Leads The Boston Bruins To The Stanley Cup Finals </div>
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<a href="/author/jessi-pierce">Jessi Pierce</a> </div>
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<p>To say that Tim Thomas has taken the road less traveled to reach the pinnacle of the NHL would be a gross understatement. A more accurate assessment would be that his journey more aptly resembles a horse and buggy ride down a long and bumpy dirt road.</p>
<p>And now as he stands four wins away from the peak of the mountain, the Flint, Mich., native&rsquo;s story serves as beacon of inspiration for anyone who has faced a similar journey.</p>
<p>Thomas began to encounter roadblocks on his path to the pros right out of high school. Despite a solid career at Davison High in suburban Flint, colleges steered clear, at least right away. That&rsquo;s when he decided to take the Junior route with the now defunct Lakeland Jets of the North American Hockey League.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I made that team as a third goalie &mdash; I won&rsquo;t even get in to that,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>No matter what, it turned out to be a good move as the next summer brought in offers from both the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and Michigan Tech University. The only problem was that both schools already had a talented netminder occupying to top of the depth charts with Jamie Ram on the verge of a record-setting career at Michigan Tech and future NHL goaltender Dwayne Roloson learning the ropes at Lowell.</p>
<p>(As fate would have it, Thomas and Roloson hooked up in the Eastern Conference finals, with Thomas getting the upper hand in a seven-game series.)</p>
<p>Eventually, a third school came into the picture, the University of Vermont.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Thomas_1_0.img_assist_custom-279x186.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-279x186 " width="279" height="186" /></span>&ldquo;They [Vermont] were the only school at the time that told me if I went there I had a chance to play right away,&rdquo; said Thomas who teamed up with future NHL All-Star Martin St. Louis to help the Catamounts to two NCAA tournament appearances.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Ultimately I had the opportunity and I had to take it. Basically, it changed everything.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Roger Grillo, an assistant coach at Vermont at the time, couldn&rsquo;t agree more.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d love to say we got him because I was a genius and saw this [success] coming,&rdquo; joked Grillo, who now works with USA Hockey as a regional manager for the American Development Model.</p>
<p>&ldquo;But to be honest it worked out for us, it was good fortune and good timing. There were plenty of teams looking at him but not willing to pull the trigger. We told him there was a spot and he said &lsquo;sure.&rsquo; You can&rsquo;t ask for much more.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Thomas found a home in Burlington during his four years with the Catamounts, posting an 81-43-15 record to go with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage, on-top of 3,950 career saves, which remains third in the NCAA Division I record books.</p>
<p>His standout play earned him a late-round call from the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, and it seemed that things were beginning to look up for the goalie with an unorthodox style.</p>
<p>After brief stints in the East Coast and International Hockey Leagues, Thomas thought his best opportunity for advancement would be found overseas where he joined the SM-Liiga before helping push the HIFK Helsinki-Finland team to two back-to-back championship appearances.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Thomas_3.img_assist_custom-280x326.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x326 " width="280" height="326" /></span>&ldquo;I had a good time playing in Europe,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;It wasn't the NHL, but I was getting paid to play a sport I love. When I finally got the chance, I just wanted to prove to people that I could play at the NHL level. All the hard work paid off.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And it has paid off in full, as Thomas eventually found himself a fixture between the pipes for the Bruins in 2006-07 and hasn&rsquo;t looked back since, posting figures that would make any goaltender shake his head in disbelief. The accolades have continued to mount over the past several season with a Vezina Trophy in 2009 and a roster sport with the 2010 U.S. Olympic team in Vancouver.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My goal as a kid was to play in the Olympics; it wasn&rsquo;t to play in the NHL,&rdquo; said Thomas, who saw limited action with the upstart silver medalists.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Jim Craig was a hero of mine, really the reason I switched from a forward to a goalie. To wear that USA crest across my chest is something I will never forget and always cherish.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Even hip surgery in the summer of 2010 couldn&rsquo;t slow down this newfound goaltending juggernaut heading into this season that saw Thomas again lead the NHL with a 2.00 GAA and recording the highest save percentage (.938) since the NHL began recording the stat in 1982 and making him a contender for the Vezina Trophy once again.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Those of us that were around him for his college career aren&rsquo;t overly shocked at how good he&rsquo;s played at this level. He&rsquo;s athleticism, competitiveness and passion is what has driven him to where he is today,&rdquo; Grillo said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What he has gone through as a professional and the ups and downs and all the hurdles he&rsquo;s had to overcome to get to the spot he has is amazing and you just have to tip your hat to him.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And now there is just one more hurdle standing in his way before he can carve his name on hockey&rsquo;s Holy Grail.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Having taken the long road just to get to the NHL, I think I appreciate the opportunity to be here in the Stanley Cup finals, the opportunity that this presents,&rdquo; said the 37-year-old.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s exactly where every hockey player wants to be, but it&rsquo;s hard to get to. Now that we&rsquo;re here, we should take advantage of it and try to take the Cup home.&rdquo;</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/no-doubting-thomas#commentsNHLStanley Cup finalsTim ThomasOnline Bonus ContentFri, 03 Jun 2011 17:16:25 +0000harryt4933 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comUSA Hockey Announces Team USA For 2010 Olympic Games In Vancounverhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/usa-hockey-announces-team-usa-2010-olympic-games-vancounver
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<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/timthomas-winter-classic.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="357" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Tim Thomas, (right), gained a win for the Boston Bruins at the Winter Classic at Fenway Park and then headlines the list for Team USA for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>The complete team as announced after the game is as follows:</em></p>
<h3></h3>
<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/hdr_USAHlogo.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="148" height="69" /></span>FORWARDS</h3>
<p>David Backes, (St. Louis Blues)<br />Dustin Brown, (Los Angeles Kings)<br />Ryan Callahan, (New York Rangers)<br />Chris Drury, (New York Rangers)<br />Patrick Kane, (Chicago Blackhawks)<br />Ryan Kesler, (Vancouver Canucks)<br />Phil Kessel, (Toronto Maple Leafs)<br />Jamie Langenbrunner, (New Jersey Devils)<br />Ryan Malone, (Tampa Bay Lightning)<br />Zach Parise, (New Jersey Devils)<br />Joe Pavelski, (San Jose Sharks)<br />Bobby Ryan, (Anaheim Ducks)<br />Paul Stastny, (Colorado Avalanche)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>DEFENSE</h3>
<p>Erik Johnson, (St. Louis Blues)<br />Jack Johnson, (Los Angeles Kings)<br />Mike Komisrek (Toronto Maple Leafs)<br />Paul Martin, (New Jersey Devils)<br />Brooks Orpik, (Pittsburgh Pittsburgh)<br />Brian Rafalski, (Detroit Red Wings)<br />Ryan Suter, (Nashville Predators)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>GOALIES</h3>
<p>Ryan Miller, (Buffalo Sabres)<br />Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)<br />Tim Thomas, (Boston Bruins)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h6>Photos &mdash; Getty Images<br /></h6>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/usa-hockey-announces-team-usa-2010-olympic-games-vancounver#comments2010 Olympic Winter Games2010 VancouverBoston BruinsNHL Winter ClassicPhiladelphia FlyersTim ThomasOnline Bonus ContentMon, 04 Jan 2010 00:54:55 +00001919 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comLacing Up Your Skateshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-10/lacing-your-skates
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<h2>Lacing Up Your Skates</h2>
<p>When tying up your skates, make sure they are tight enough so your feet don&rsquo;t move around inside. Still, the laces should not be so tight that they cause your feet to hurt. </p>
<p>A popular misconception is that tying the skate lace around the ankle will give added support. Lacing around the ankle may cause the skate&rsquo;s boots to break down prematurely. Players who tie their laces around their ankles often do so because their skate laces are too long. Your local pro shop sells laces in various sizes.</p>
<p>Some players skate barefoot. Some skate with a thin or thick pair of socks. Do what feels best to you. <br />One thing, though, do not &ldquo;stuff the toes&rdquo; of skates to make them fit better. Buy skates that fit now and not something you&rsquo;re going to grow into down the line. </p>
<p>Skates that are not properly fitted may cause problems, ranging from poor skating stride to foot problems, such as calcium deposits, corns and bunions.</p>
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<h5><strong>IN THE CREASE </strong>|<strong> By Joe Exter<br /></strong></h5>
<h2>Finding The Right Stance</h2>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/chalktalk-inthecrease.jpg" alt="Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas braces for practice shots during the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in suburban Chicago." title="Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas braces for practice shots during the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in suburban Chicago." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="365" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas braces for practice shots during the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in suburban Chicago.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In order to develop the proper goaltending fundamentals and skating abilities, it starts with the proper stance. Still, with various styles displayed within the goaltending ranks, many may wonder what qualifies as a proper stance.&nbsp; </p>
<p>A proper stance maximizes net coverage and the ability to move while maintaining balance. A goaltender&rsquo;s feet should be a little more than shoulder width apart, with a slight ankle bend and weight centered slightly on the inside edges of the balls of the goalie&rsquo;s feet. This foot positioning, along with the proper knee bend and the chest up with stick/gloves in position, is a proper stance that will lead to the development of the correct save-and-movement techniques for the goaltender.&nbsp; </p>
<p>Why does this stance allow a goaltender to develop and succeed more than other stances? For starters, it puts a goaltender in an athletic position that allows him or her to be balanced and under control. Having proper balance limits excessive and/or wasted movement. Being under control leads to more efficiency in the goaltender&rsquo;s movement and increases the save-selection options available to the goaltender.&nbsp; </p>
<p>While it is true that NHL goaltenders have varying stances and styles, they do share many of the same strengths. What separates one NHL goaltender from another is the individual identity each goaltender has established. These individual identities were formed after mastering the fundamentals of the position.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>It is important for young goaltenders to realize that a proper stance helps develop the correct fundamentals of the position, which in turn enables a goaltender to develop a successful personal identity.</p>
<p>Achieving the proper stance, mastering the fundamentals of the position and establishing one&rsquo;s identity is possible only through hard work and a daily commitment to self improvement.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>To learn more about goaltending, go to <a href="http://www.USAHockeygoaltending.com">USAHockeygoaltending.com.</a></p>
<p><em>Joe Exter is the goaltending coach for the National Team Development Program.</em></p>
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<h2>Volunteer of the Month</h2>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Volunteer-of-the-Month-1009-dave-mead.img_assist_custom-220x251.jpg" alt="Dave Mead, Newark, Ohio" title="Dave Mead, Newark, Ohio" class="image image-img_assist_custom-220x251 " width="220" height="251" /><span class="caption" style="width: 218px;">Dave Mead, Newark, Ohio</span></span></strong>As any hockey volunteer will tell you, it&rsquo;s never about the individual, but the group. And Dave Mead, president of the Newark Ice Hockey Association in Ohio, believes that with all his heart.</p>
<p>Mead grew up playing youth&nbsp; hockey and came back to the game when it was his son&rsquo;s turn to play. After six years as a coach at various levels, Mead realized he could better serve the association on the board of directors.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I excel in the detail of coordinating an association of this size,&rdquo; Mead says, adding that if he can put people in positions they are passionate about, the group will benefit.</p>
<p>In doing so, the NIHA has gained to more than 300 members, and has a growing girls&rsquo; program as well as men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s adult programs. The association has a close relationship with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and has been awarded various grants to help area youth experience and develop in the game of hockey.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What excites me is when you can help shape the leadership and sportsmanship skills of young adults, and help them develop into outstanding citizens,&rdquo; Mead says.</p>
<p><em>The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program supports volunteer coaches and parents. A proud sponsor of USA Hockey.</em></p>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2009-10">2009-10</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-10/lacing-your-skates#commentsGoaliesHockey Volunteer of the MonthLacing up skatesTim ThomasChalk TalkWed, 07 Oct 2009 14:45:17 +00001627 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comStrike A Posehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-04/strike-pose
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Hockey Players Are Seeing The Benefits Of Yoga As Part Of Their Training </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/35">Michael Huie</a> </div>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0804-yoga-Tim-Thomas-1.jpg" alt="Tim Thomas" title="Tim Thomas" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="380" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Tim Thomas</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Last summer Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas spent part of his offseason training learning about the downward dog and warrior positions as well as the butterfly. </p>
<p>The centuries-old study of yoga, which is part philosophical and part physical, has found its way into the workout routines of many top athletes. Yoga is becoming more accepted as part of an athlete&rsquo;s training, and that includes hockey players.</p>
<p>Thomas spent a considerable part of his offseason working with Dana Edison, who uses yoga to train professional athletes as part of her business, Radius Yoga Conditioning. Thomas and Edison worked twice a week for about 75 minutes each day during the early part of the offseason. Thomas says the yoga workouts were vigorous and that after five minutes he was covered in sweat.</p>
<p>&ldquo;People don&rsquo;t really realize how hard of a workout yoga really is,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just stretching and sitting on the floor.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I work them really hard and there are times when they are cursing me, but by the end of it they love it,&rdquo; Edison adds.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/yoga1.jpg" alt="Yoga instructor Dana Edison helps Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas find his inner warrior in yoga&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;Warrior II&amp;rdquo; pose." title="Yoga instructor Dana Edison helps Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas find his inner warrior in yoga&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;Warrior II&amp;rdquo; pose." class="image image-_original " width="380" height="301" /><span class="caption" style="width: 378px;">Yoga instructor Dana Edison helps Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas find his inner warrior in yoga&rsquo;s &ldquo;Warrior II&rdquo; pose.</span></span></strong>Edison says professional athletes have long used yoga techniques as part of their training. None other than Mark Messier told ESPN&nbsp; The Magazine that he used meditation and yoga to help him later in his career, but Edison says athletes are using yoga today in a different way.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Yoga as a means of corrective exercise and as a specific compliment to what they&rsquo;re already doing is a new application,&rdquo; she says.</p>
<p>Edison focuses on yoga that is specific to each sport. She says her yoga workout pays off in several areas, including functional strength, the correction of the body&rsquo;s imbalances, injury prevention and mental preparation. Part of her work with any athlete includes an hourlong physical assessment, which includes a discussion with their trainer to find the athlete&rsquo;s weak areas. Watching Thomas she learned that his left trapezius muscle was shorter and tighter than his right, which created an imbalance and affected the movement with his catching glove.</p>
<p>Thomas, who is from Flint, Mich., says the workouts with Edison helped him improve his flexibility. He feels the improvement can be seen in his improved play this season, play that won him a spot in this year&rsquo;s NHL All-Star game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s helped my flexibility in the butterfly,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s opened my hips up a little bit. And it helped me mentally in the way that I knew I had prepared as much as I could [last] summer.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For U.S. Olympian Sarah Tueting, playing goalie was a time when she could turn her mind off and concentrate on one thing &ndash; stopping the puck. When she retired from the sport in 2002, she missed that feeling.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0804-yoga-Tueting-2.jpg" alt="U.S. Olympic goaltender Sarah Tueting found that yoga helped with both her concentration and focus." title="U.S. Olympic goaltender Sarah Tueting found that yoga helped with both her concentration and focus." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="371" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">U.S. Olympic goaltender Sarah Tueting found that yoga helped with both her concentration and focus.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;For me, it&rsquo;s what I miss about hockey and it&rsquo;s what I found in yoga,&rdquo; she says, &ldquo;a place where I can be most fully present without the mind getting in the way.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Tueting was in net for the U.S. Women&rsquo;s team gold-medal run at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, but she then retired from the game after winning silver at Salt Lake City in 2002. She says she took the occasional yoga class when she was still playing, but wishes she&rsquo;d known the broader benefits of yoga during her playing days. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Goalies live in their head,&rdquo; Tueting says. &ldquo;Being able to hold these poses has a lot to do with focus. If I was playing, absolutely I would have benefited [from yoga].&rdquo;</p>
<p>Teena Murray, the strength and conditioning coach for the USA Hockey Women&rsquo;s National program, also sees the benefits of yoga for hockey players.&nbsp; She has made yoga a part of the current women&rsquo;s team&rsquo;s training regimen.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What we do is definitely use it in our warm-ups, and in some of our post-workout stretching we use some of the poses,&rdquo; says Murray, who is the director of Olympic Sports Performance at the University of Louisville. &ldquo;We mainly use it as a regeneration tool on an off day.</p>
<p>Murray has personally used bikram yoga, which takes place in a room heated to more than 100 degrees, for about five years. She says yoga has value for her as a cleansing tool, but for the players she says it helps them stay in tune with their bodies on a day when they are not working out. She says the practice of yoga certainly has value for goalies, whom it helps with concentration and focus, but also can help skaters with increased mobility, balance and relaxation.</p>
<p>Even athletes who have used yoga in their training acknowledge there can be resistance from those who think yoga means lying on the floor and chanting. Edison says she usually waits until athletes see the physical benefits of yoga before incorporating breathing work.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t necessarily position that right at the beginning with most players because I don&rsquo;t want to scare them away,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;The breathing is a key component of the workout. Anytime you&rsquo;re stressed out someone will say to you &lsquo;take a deep breath.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p>
<p>Despite the misconceptions, Tueting says yoga should be a part of any serious athlete&rsquo;s training.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think you might run into resistance, because people at that level know their bodies so well. I could see people being so anal about their own particular world of training they might not be open to it,&rdquo; she says.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think everybody can benefit from meditation. Hands down that should be part of everybody&rsquo;s training, I think. It helps you let go of the negative thoughts, and if you&rsquo;re thinking about a past goal you&rsquo;re just going to get scored on again.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Tueting, who has studied yoga in India, says the spiritual aspect of yoga where the mind and body feel truly connected is the same sense that athlete feel when they are &ldquo;in the zone.&rdquo; </p>
<p>&ldquo;If you have a practice that allows you to continually visit that place, it will come back easier on the hockey rink,&rdquo; she says.</p>
<p>Thomas is also sold on yoga, and says he plans to use it again next offseason. <br />&ldquo;Definitely with the season I&rsquo;ve had I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m going to switch too much.&rdquo;</p>
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<h6>Photos - Getty Images, NESN, USA Hockey</h6>
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<h2>Bending And Stretching Your Way To Better Hockey<br /></h2>
<p>Bikram Yoga, also known as Hot Yoga, features 26 postures that are designed to promote strength and flexibility, and improve circulation, digestion, mental health and general well being. These postures are best performed after the athlete is warm, i.e., post-practice and in a room that is relatively warm (105 degrees with 40 percent humidity) to provide an environment that promotes flexibility.</p>
<p>Here are several Bikram Yoga poses designed to help hockey players with their core strength, flexibility and concentration.</p>
<p><em>(Thanks to members of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for demonstrating these poses.)</em></p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/1Yoga-handfeet.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="265" /></span></p>
<h4>Standing Hands-To-Feet Pose (Pada-Hasthasana)</h4>
<p>Your feet should be close together with the toes and heels touching. Bend your knees and use all five fingers to reach around and &ldquo;scoop&rdquo; up the heels from behind. Slowly begin to press the stomach to the thighs, chest to the knees, and face to the shins. If you can achieve the face on the shins, slowly start to straighten the knees until they are straight. The final position is your head touching your toes.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose stretches the hamstrings, gluts and lower/middle/upper back.</p>
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<h4><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/2yoga_eagle.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="144" height="230" /></span>Eagle Pose (Garurasana)</h4>
<p>Your feet should be close together. Swing your arms up overhead, swing back down crossing the right under the left and twisting at the wrist so that your hands join in prayer position with the thumbs towards the face. Pull downward to stretch the shoulder/scapulae, bend down on both knees. Pick up the right leg and cross it high over the thigh and continue to wrap the lower right leg around the lower left leg until all five toes are visible on the other side of the left leg. Continue to straighten the spine and sit as low as possible. Repeat on the</p>
<p>left side.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose compresses and opens all major joints in the body, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.</p>
<h4><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/3yoga_tohead.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="262" /></span></h4>
<h4>Standing Head to Knee Pose (Dandayamana-Janushirasana)</h4>
<p>Stand with your feet together, bend over and pick up your right foot with all 10 fingers interlocked. Your standing leg must remain straight (locked). If standing leg is locked, slowly begin to extend left leg forward until also in a locked position. Only if both legs are locked, bring your forehead to knee and elbows below the calf muscle. Repeat on the left leg.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This pose is aimed at strengthening of hamstring and quadricep muscles, improves flexibility of sciatic nerves.</p>
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<h4>Locust Pose (Salabhasana)</h4>
<p>Lie on your stomach with chin on floor. Place your arms under your body with your palms facing down. Straighten your right leg and lift to a 45-degree angle; repeat left leg. Turn your head downward placing mouth on floor, squeeze both legs together and straighten and lift both legs simultaneously.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose strengthens the lower and middle back, can relieve pain from slipped or herniated discs, scoliosis, sciaitica and arthritis. Also helps with carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/4yoga-fullLfly.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="207" /></span></p>
<h4>Full Locust Pose (Poorna-Salabhasana)</h4>
<p>Lie on your stomach with your chin forward, and tighten your leg muscles such that toes are pointed, knees straight, hips contracted. Simultaneously lift both legs and both arms up off the floor like an airplane. The higher the better.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose strengthens middle back, gluts, and hamstrings. It is helpful in treating scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylosis, and slipped discs.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/5yoga_pray.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="186" /></span></p>
<h4>Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)</h4>
<p>Lie on stomach. Grasp feet from the inside, two inches below the toes.&nbsp; Lift head and legs simultaneously using leg and back strength to make the body look like a teardrop from the side.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This pose opens the rib cage, front side stretching. It&rsquo;s good for your digestive system.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/5yoga-bow.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="243" /></span></p>
<h4>Half Tortoise Pose (Ardha-Kurmasana)</h4>
<p>Kneeling down with your hips on your feet, stretch up with both arms, place hands in prayer position. Slowly bend forward trying to keep the hips on the heels, while eventually getting the forehead on the floor, pinky fingers on the floor, arms extended forward maximally.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This pose stretches your neck and shoulders; lengthens spine, increases blood flow to the brain.</p>
<h6>Yoga Photos - Dave Reginek<br /></h6>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2008-04">2008-04</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-04/strike-pose#commentsBoston Bruinshockey trainerOff-Ice TrainingSarah TuetingTim ThomastrainingyogaFeatureWed, 22 Jul 2009 19:07:06 +00001129 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.com